Fan Death is a Korean idea. Some Koreans think that sleeping with a fan on can kill you, either through asphyxiation or hypothermia. I bring it up not because it's silly, but because it's something that some people fear (aided by the media), while others can't imagine it being scary.
EDIT: a much better example is skydiving. Statistically not risky, though it seems risky, because jumping out of a plane!
So here I'd like to address some of the possible fears associated with Iran travel, and either refute them or reduce them to a risk that I'm already taking. Instead of general fear of Iran, let's concentrate on what it is that we're afraid of.
What could go wrong?
EDIT: a much better example is skydiving. Statistically not risky, though it seems risky, because jumping out of a plane!
So here I'd like to address some of the possible fears associated with Iran travel, and either refute them or reduce them to a risk that I'm already taking. Instead of general fear of Iran, let's concentrate on what it is that we're afraid of.
What could go wrong?
- Petty crime, getting my things stolen or whatever. I have no reason to believe this is more likely in Iran than in other places, like India.
- Violent crime. Again, this is no more likely in Iran than elsewhere.
- Getting caught up in a protest or something. Well, of course I won't be trying to find anything like this; the trouble would be if I stumble into one. Iran is the first place where I'll have a guide, who will know the situation on the ground and help me avoid stumbling into one. (compare to India where there are people protesting stuff all the time.)
- Iranian government harassing me. I wouldn't be hearing so much "Iran is safe" if there were a possibility that the government would harass me. Unlike those hikers a few months ago, I won't be going near borders or away from my guide. I won't take photos of official things. And again, there's a guide whose job it is to keep me safe.
- US government harassing me on re-entry; one two sites reporting no problems, or a little badgering but nothing serious.
- US government harassing me somewhere down the road (e.g. on a "terrorist watch list"). The only reason I have to believe that this would happen is due to someone I haven't met, whose words I've heard only secondhand via a rather exaggerated email.
Other general fears:
- There's a travel warning by the State Department for Iran. But then, there's also one for Kenya, the Philippines, Israel, and Mexico, as well as travel alerts for India, Nepal, Bhutan, India again, and Thailand. I've traveled under State Department alerts before, during the Red Shirt protests in Thailand; the violence was in one part of Bangkok but the alert went for the whole country. They're a bit... broad.
- There's no embassy. Right. The Swiss embassy foreign interests section can handle some cases, and for the rest... well, I've never needed an embassy through 3 months of travel so far, nor ever in the past, so what are the odds I'd need one now? Again, tell me what will go wrong.
Other things that might allay your fears:
- Rick Steves: "I have never felt a more friendly welcome because I was an American." (skip the politics if you'd like; the point I'm trying to make here is, Iranians were friendly to him.)
- Traveling to Iran as Americans: all you need to know
- Lonely Planet is cool with it.
- Even USA Today says that "with commonsense precautions, the American tourist may enjoy a deeply fulfilling trip to this nation."
- Travel blog: "Some parts of it require you to leave your comfort zone and it can sometimes be quite tough for female travellers, but the people are very friendly and the sights are nothing short of spectacular."
- "Fortunately, or unfortunately, Iranians love other people, specially the westerners !"
- "Tell all Americans we love them"
- Even from a rabbi: "I am now more convinced than ever that we in the West harbor egregiously stereotypical assumptions about this country – and that we harbor them at our mutual peril."
- Is Iran dangerous for Westerners?
- Iran for Westerners?
- Do people really travel to Iran?
Anyway, my point is that I'm not going on some daring trip on a calculated risk because it'll be awesome dude; I'm going on a non-risky trip.
And so I'm asking, if you can provide some evidence that travel to Iran is dangerous, please do. Tell me what I should be afraid of, and provide evidence as to why. The caveat is that this evidence must be fact-based, not vague warnings or what-if worries. If there's no evidence, we might just be arguing about fan death here. (EDIT: or skydiving.)
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